Ink separator



Nov. 12, 1968 J. P. DORR INK SEPARATOR Filed Nov. 28, 1966 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

INVENI'OR JOSEPH P DORR m; iif/wfi gwddya.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,410,206 INK SEPARATOR Joseph P. Dorr, Silver Spring, Md., assignor to Capital Tool and Manufacturing Co., Inc., College Park, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Nov. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 597,403 2 Claims. (Cl. 101-206) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An ink separator including a body having rotatably mounted therein a hard-surfaced roller for engaging an ink cylinder to remove ink therefrom, a pair of spring loaded scraper blades slidably mounted in the body in engagement with the roller to remove ink therefrom, and a mounting strap projecting from the body for securing the assembly with respect to a fixed support.

This invention is a new and improved ink separator for removing ink between adjacent peripheral portions of an ink roller in a printing press or the like. The present invention is particularly suitable in color printing to insure that different colors on adjacent portions of a press ink cylinder will be segregated so as not to intermingle, although the present invention is not limited to this latter use.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ink separator which will effectively remove ink from an ink roller or cylinder without damaging the latter even when the ink roller or cylinder is made from relatively soft material.

A further and more specific object of the present invention is to provide such an ink separator which employs a hard surfaced roller to remove ink from the ink cylinder but which has an improved means for mounting the ink removing roller and for removing the ink from the latter.

A further object of the present invention is to provide such an ink separator which is highly suitable for commercial use such as in newspaper printing and which may be easily and quickly installed or removed without special tools and with a minimum of skill. Included herein is the provision of such an ink separator which may be economically manufactured and will provide dependable service over long periods of continuous and rugged use during which little, if any, maintenance is required.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmental perspective view of an ink cylinder in a printing press with two installed ink separators embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of one of the ink separators shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 33 of FIGURE 2, and additionally showing in phantom, a portion of an ink cylinder;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 55 of FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail FIGURE 1 shows a printing press ink roller or cylinder whose periphery is divided into several sections 12 which for example may bear ink of different colors, by means of ink separators 14 embodying the present invention. As will be subsequently described in greater detail, separators 14 are mounted in operative position relative to ink cylinder 10 by a support bar 16 extending alongside ink cylinder 10, the support bar being fixed at its opposite ends to supporting structure (not shown) of the press.

In the illustrated embodiment ink separator 14 includes a yoke body 18 comprised of parallel mounting arms 20 interconnected by a cross piece 22, the yoke body being made from any suitable material preferably aluminum. Mounted in yoke arms 20 in generally parallel relation to cross piece 22, is a shaft 24 on which is rotatably mounted an ink removing roller 26 preferably made from aluminum and having a smooth, cylindrical peripheral surface 28. Ink removing roller 26 functions to engage the ink cylinder 10, of the press to remove ink be tween sections 12 to thereby segregate the sections and prevent intermingling of their inks.

Ink removed from cylinder 10 and deposited upon ink roller surface 28, is removed from the latter by a pair of scraping blades 30 preferably having a thickness of approximately 7 of an inch. Additionally the shown scraper blades are preferably made from nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) and have a generally rectangular shape and cross-section, the width being approximately 4 of an inch and the length 1% inches. Scraper blades 30 are mounted in the cross-piece 22 of the yoke body by rectangular passages 32 formed in the cross-piece and opening into the space between mounting arms 20 of the yoke body. Passages 32 are dimensioned to receive scraper blades 30 with the outer edges 34 of the scraper blades extending across ink removing roller 26 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

To resiliently urge scraper blades 30 into engagement with the ink removing roller, springs 36 are provided to act on the rear edge of the scraper blades. In the particular form of the invention shown, two compression coil springs 36 are provided to engage the Opp site ends of the rear edge of the scraper blades as shown in FIG- URE 4. Additionally for locating springs 36 and to maintain them in proper alignment, a pair of cylindrical passage 38 having a slightly greater diameter than springs 36 are for-med in cross-piece 22 to open into each enlarged passage 32. Spring receiving passages 38 are separated by portions 39 of the cross-piece as shown in FIGURE 4.

Mounting of roller 26 and blades 30 with respect to support bar 16 is accomplished by a strap generally designated 40 adjustably fastened to a clamp generally designated 50, which in turn is clamped about support bar 16. Strap 40 is preferably made from aluminum and has a generally planar body portion, the upper end 42 of which fits flatly against the front end of the yoke body. Strap 40 is removably fastened with respect to the yoke body by a threaded stud or screw 44 received through an aperture in strap portion 42 and ultimately in a threaded passage 46 formed in yoke cross-piece 22 between passages 38 at the level of the roller supporting shaft 24. The opposite or lower end of strap 40 has projecting from the plane thereof at an obtuse angle a mounting arm 48 which has formed therein an aperture for receiving a bolt or screw 52 for connection to clamp 50. The latter has a mounting arm 54 formed with an elongated slot 56 which receives bolt 52 and a nut 58 is provided on the bolt to complete this connection. It will be seen that the relative angle between the clamp and the strap and consequently the yoke body may be adjusted through the provision of elongated slot 56 in clamp mounting arm 54.

Clamp in the shown embodiment, includes a pair of generally C-shaped members 60, 62 which are hinged together at one end by a pin 64 received through a pair of mounting ears 66 formed on clamp member 62 and a single mounting ear 68 formed on clamp member and located between mounting ears 66. Clamp members 60, 62 have semi-cylindrical intermediate surface por- 3 tions dimensioned to engage around support bar 16 to be clamped thereto as shown in FIGURE 3.

On the free ends of clamping members 60, 62 is a locking device for clamping members 60, 62 together about support bar 16 and for loosening them for adjustment or removal purposes. The illustrated locking device includes a bolt 70 which is suitably fixed by pin 72 to clamping member 60 and extends through a bifurcated portion 74 of the opposite clamping member 62. On bolt 70 is a hand knob 76 having an internal threaded passage 78 engaged on the threads of bolt 74. By advancing hand knob 76 on bolt 74 pressure from the hand knob is transmitted to clamping member 62 to force the clamping members against the support bar to thus secure the separator in fixed position. Rotation of hand knob 76 in the opposite direction loosens clamping members 60, 62 with respect to support bar 16 to permit adjustment along the latter or removal.

Modifications and adaptations of the present invention readily apparent from the foregoing description and associated drawings, although not specifically mentioned herein, Will nevertheless be included within the scope of the present invention as indicated in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. An ink separator for removing ink between axially spaced peripheral portions of an ink roller or the like; the separator comprising in combination, a yoke body having a pair of spaced mounting arms and a cross-piece extending between said mounting arms, a shaft mounted in said mounting arms, an ink removal roller rotatably mounted on said shaft between said arms to be engageable with an ink roller to remove ink therefrom, a pair of passages formed in the cross-piece in generally overlying relationship, a pair of generally rectangular scraper blades freely mounted in said passages respectively for slidable movement, compression coil spring means in each of said passages resiliently urging said scraper blades into simultaneous engagement with said ink removal roller to scrape ink therefrom, and means projecting from said body for securing said body with respect to a fixed support.

2. The ink separator defined in claim 1 wherein said ink removal roller has a hard and smooth metallic peripheral surface adapted to contact the ink roller to remove ink therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 831,933 9/1906 Comly 103-423 1,692,639 11/1928 Elsner l03123 2,070,667 2/1937 Lougee 101-157 2,754,796 7/1956 Faulkner et a1. 101-157 FOREIGN PATENTS 415,008 9/ 1946 Italy. 568,141 3/ 1945 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

30 C. D. CROWDER, Assistant Examiner. 

